Suzi's Blog

It’s true fall and your farmers market is abundant with fruit, particularly apples and pears. I have this love/hate relationship with pears that cannot be solved. When good, a pear is the best fruit possible. Of course, a pear is at its peak for all of 90 minutes it seems.

Still, Suzen and I have been looking and we have some wonderful fall pear recipes to share with you. This is the first one, a pear cocktail from Martha Stewart. Now the recipe below is exactly what Martha says, and it uses pear nectar. The recipe is good, but there are alternative paths to explore.

For example, I prefer fresh pears, over nectar

And, this recipe uses bourbon. Martha is a bourbon woman. My Suzi is not. Sometimes, the power of bourbon can overcome the delicacy of pear. So, here is what I suggest. First, make this recipe as you see it below to get that base feeling for flavor. Then, try these changes:

· Use a fresh pear, not nectar. Peel and slice the pear, then muddle it. To get a fluid [like nectar], and not just muddle mush, add some liquid like some simple syrup and the lemon juice. Then keep muddling away. When you shake your cocktail, really, really shake it.

· Alternatively, after muddling, put the whole thing, including a few ice cubes and the booze, into a blender — or, much better, a Vitamix. You’ll get a “Pina Colada” style beverage that is cold, thick, and yummy.

· Change the liquor from bourbon to something less intense. I’ve used gin, Suzen’s favorite. A low alcohol silver tequila would work. Dark, aged tequila may just have too much flavor power for those pears. Pear vodka? Don’t use the commercial versions. I’ll blog a much better homemade version this week.

· Change the sage for other herbs, certainly mint, perhaps rosemary

Pear Nectar Cocktail with Bourbon and Sage

Yield: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

4 sage leaves

1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 ounces bourbon

2 ounces pear nectar

1 red pear slice, for garnish

Preparation:

Muddle sage, sugar, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker until fragrant. Add bourbon and pear nectar. Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass. Garnish with a pear slice.